Please note the appropriate length of the black skirt. It was a formal concert after all and there were a lot of scandalously short skirts on that stage.
You also cannot see the very appropriate undergarments. But, I did advise that when I was her age, a proper lady would not leave the house without a girdle and stockings, gloves, hat and purse. To which she replied, "what is a girdle?" And, Rob's very quick answer was "A bit of illusion and magic."
Okay, until this morning, I did not realize just how funny that was.
This is last year's outfit. There's a gray stain in the back of the shirt. That gray stain got there from the shirt not being taken care of. I found it as I was finishing up the ironing. I could probably have bleached the shirt and gotten the stain out. But, then I would have had to iron the thing again...girls clothes are hard to iron; all those curved lines and darts; blech!
She hates the shirt this year because of the way it fits. It fits perfect. It's loose and lightweight and hangs well. Apparently, that's not the style anymore.
Okay, so Sydney's friend spent the weekend with us so she could go to practice for this concert. But, she wasn't at the concert. Her Mom was at the concert for at least a second, too short a time for us to run into her, but long enough to see her across the auditorium.
I would hate to think that M. didn't make the concert for want of a ride. I'm not sure that she has the same structured homelife that Sydney so enjoys. You guys are always commenting about what a great time Sydney has of it with us and I think that for the first time, I'm seeing a child that doesn't have the same structure...the structure that Rob and I just take for granted.
M. was surprised by meal times and home cooked food and eating out. She commented on my cooking several times and the groceries and the pantry. She wasn't used to bed times and getting up times and the kind of chores we expect and doing things with the family.
Makes my big old heart ache.
Okay, so that's concerts and confusion. How about consternation?
This little quilt. I spent all my time thinking about what I was going to quilt out in those large triangles. I have a fabulously fantastically wonderful plan. I spent so much time on the corners that I didn't plan for the center.
First, I tried an all over pattern. I practiced on paper, I created grids to quilt over, I tried and I tried and I tried and I wasn't happy. So, I switched to these poinsettias. I traced them and needle punched them into tracing paper and I put one in and I didn't like it, so I put another one in a different color thread and I didn't like it, so I ripped it out and then I replaced it with the original color thread and I still don't like it.
With the dark, medium and light fabrics in it, there is just no "right" color of thread.
If I stick with the poinsettias, I'm going to have to use a different thread. Something not green and something not beige. Red? Maybe metallic silver? or gold? There's a tiny bit of gold ink print on that sashing fabric. Or, I could quilt some other shape. I don't know. Now that all the ditchwork is done and the quilt is secure and stable, I'm thinking about starting out in the triangles and quilting what I know I want to do and then figuring out the center later. But, really, before I do that, I need to pick a thread. Or, maybe I'll just hang it on the wall and wait for some inspiration.
Red thread, huh? That would be a very bold move. Talk about showing off the mistakes.
Goodness knows I have plenty of other stuff I could work on.
Has anyone out there ever quilted with metallic thread? Is it easier or harder than invisible thread (which I consider to be like sewing with stretchy human hair)?
Lane
11 comments:
Sydney is beautiful!!!! More and more each time I see her picture!
I love the poinsettia in the blocks! Stupid me thinks this thread looks good....but what do I know. You always make wonderful selections, so I know whatever you decide will be beautiful.
I was wishing I had you here when I was going through the mess with the Moon over the Mountain fabric decisions. I know you would have laughed yourself silly if you could have seen my mental picture of "Liberace's Lap Quilt"! You must have been protecting me from afar!!! If I'm lucky, maybe your selection process is sinking into my feeble brain!
Have a great day! Love ya. Becky
I like your thread choice but I do think red would look amazing. I've used metallics - it's important that you use a larger hole needle (topstitching type) otherwise you'll end up frustrated with shredding and breakage. Guess they may be a little harder than with invisible but totally worth the effort.
As for Sydney - what a beautiful girl. But really, Dad, a girdle?!! No one wears girdles anymore they wear Spanx and stockings, not likely. Gloves are to keep your hands warm at a football game, not a real accessory anymore unless you're Lady Gaga. And hats are for wearing to a royal wedding or the Kentucky Derby!! You're a fabulous quilter but maybe you should step out of being a fashion consultant. : )
She's a gorgeous girl, and I wholly appreciate the proper length of that skirt. Good for both of you! I'm afraid I would agree with Sydney that the blouse is a little, well, "blousey". Perhaps a shirt with some vertical seams in the front that would nip in a little of the looseness at the bottom. (Don't hate me!)
Metallic thread-I use it all the time and love it but it does take respect. First, use a good metallic, my favorite is Superior. Cheap metallics break all the time because they uses host fibers around a weak core.
Second, use a 90/14 size Topstitch needle or metallic needle. They have a larger eye to not fray the thread and a deep groove down the shaft of the needle to hold the thread safer as it goes in and out of the fabric.
Third, loosen your tension-maybe as far down as nearly zero, but start with small adjustments at a time.
Lastly, try a this synthetic there'd in the bobbin. cotton fibers are very "sticky" (think how a scrap of cotton fabric sticks to your design wall,or another piece of fabric). Synthetics are slippery and don't grab and break the metallics. My favorite is Superior Bottom Line, but there are lots of polyester threads on the market, just don't get a cotton wrapped one.
sorry, that was supposed to be "use short fibers"
I haven't quilted with metallic thread, but I've sewn with it and my advice is to not even try. It's a nightmare to sew with, even on lightweight fabrics. No matter how much I fiddle with beeswax and tension, it breaks, frays, tangles, and generally makes a nuisance of itself!
Like Bratling---I haven't had really good experience with metallic thread, but then that was a long time ago and I read all the time about how there has been a real improvement. What you might want to try is a real high luster poly that would catch the light sorta like a metallic. Invisible poly thread is much better than the fish line nylon. I just quilted with some in both the bobbin and top thread and it did a good job.
Your "honey bunny" is really a pretty girl! Such a lady! I too had a structured house---I must confess that now that I have gotten older, it isn't quite as structured, but we still have bed times, time to eat, and rules even though not as many---since there are not 5 children at home :c)
Sydney's skirt length is perfect for her, and the blouse does drape well. A lady also (like Syd in the photos) wears something loose with something tight-- never two loose things or two baggy things.
I think red thread would rock that quilt.
I know what you mean about kids whose lives lack structure. Ive had those encounters with some of my son's friends, and it makes my heart hurt.
This is why I shouldn't type after 10PM-- I meant two loose things or two tight things. Two loose things and a lady looks like she doesn't care; two tight things and she doesn't look like a lady.
What do you think about black thread for the quilting? I think it would be beautiful...
Congratulations on the concert outfit. I still need to get one for my 12 yr old daughter (plays violin). Thankfully, her instructor is giving the girls the option of a dress, skirt, or pants. Mine is choosing pants, so we won't have the "length" issue....just the tightness issue. Sigh. It's always something.
Post a Comment